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Blogs

Tim Warmels, a Toronto-based entrepreneur, is ready to begin his search for love as the star of Season 2 of The Bachelor Canada, premiering this fall on City.

Fans across the country were introduced to the 28-year-old Thursday on Breakfast Television.

“Season 1 paved the way for Canadian bachelors to come forward and embrace this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to find love and I’m honoured to have been chosen,” he says. “My parents have shown me what unconditional love truly means and I am ready to find the one person with whom I can share that. I have so much respect for the 25 amazing women who are putting it all on the line to go on this journey with me and I can’t wait to meet them.”

Born and raised in the small town of Campbellville, ON, Warmels attended business school at the University of Western Ontario before moving to Toronto and becoming an investment banker on Bay Street. He now has a number of tech ventures, and enjoys travelling, modeling and building custom furniture in his spare time.

Among the 25 women vying for Tim’s love, ‘Canada’s Choice’ bachelorette Raelee. The 24 remaining bachelorettes will be announced in the coming months.

Fans can also learn more about Tim by connecting with him via Twitter at @BachCanTim and Instagram at @Timbo0505. There’s also an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at his HELLO! Canada photo shoot at HelloMagazine.ca.

Wondering what advice Season One Bachelor Brad Smith has for Tim? Watch the clip below to find out!

Q&A session with FLARE:

Prior to being cast as the next Bachelor Canada, had you watched any of the past seasons of The Bachelor or The Bachelorette?
I had never watched it, but I was familiar with the concept. After I found out I was going to be the new Bachelor, I watched the first two episodes of The Bachelor Canada with Brad Smith. I wanted to get a sense of what the show looks like and what happens, but other than that I didn’t want to bias myself.

Have you had a chance to speak with Brad?
Yeah, he was really helpful. He said that you forget about the cameras almost right away and it feels really natural. He also said to be prepared to feel really insecure. It can be a weird experience with a lot going on around you, and you just have to be able to look at yourself in the mirror at the end of the night and remind yourself why you’re there.

What type of woman are you hoping to meet?
Everything stems from one quality for me—they need to be happy with who they are. They don’t have to be perfect by any means, but happy with the path that they’re on or who they are as a person or where they’re going in life.

How important is a sense of style in a potential partner?
I had this conversation with a couple of my friends a while ago, and something that really struck me was the difference between being fashionable and being stylish. Anyone can walk into a store and buy the latest thing, but it takes someone who is truly stylish to wear something, whether it’s old or new, and pull it off in her own way. That’s what really attracts me.

What type of dater are you? A serial monogamist, a casual dater, a lone wolf or…?
I’m the type of guy that quits when he knows there’s nothing there. So sometimes you can figure that out quite quickly, and other times it takes a while.

What’s the worst date you’ve ever had?
On a second date, I thought it would be a fantastic idea to go down to the waterfront after the Santa Claus Parade. While we were sitting on a bench, a bird pooped in my date’s hair. It took 20 minutes to clean up! But we ended up dating for two years.

And the best date?
The ones that come to mind are when we’ve really hit it off, right from the start and we’re just making fun of each other within five seconds of sitting down.

How important is it to find somebody who shares your interests?
Although that might give you something to talk about at the start, I think being open to trying new things is something that can help people come together more easily. Also, I want somebody who brings something new to the table. For example, my dad loves camping and my mom would never have set food in the wilderness before she met him. But now that’s a big part of our family.

Does your parent’s marriage inform the type of relationship you are looking for?
It has an enormous amount of influence on what I see as being the ideal relationship. Mainly because they haven’t always been happy. There have definitely been tough times, but seeing them go through it together and amass 35 years of marriage is something that’s really inspiring to me.

You own a home in Toronto and are pretty established here. Depending on who you meet, would you be open to relocating?
There’s a quote that I live my life by: “If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.” If you want to try and plan everything in advance, then go nuts, but it’s going to be hilarious to see what actually gets thrown your way.

When you reach the end of the show, do you think you’re going to feel comfortable proposing?
That definitely is a weird thing to think about, but once I know that I want something, I’m really not afraid of jumping right in.

Security researchers have uncovered a fatal flaw in a key safety feature for surfing the Web — the one that keeps your email, banking, shopping, passwords and communications private.

Here’s what you need to know.

What is it?

It’s called the Heartbleed bug, and it is essentially an information leak.

It starts with a hole in the software that the vast majority of websites on the Internet use to turn your personal information into strings of random numbers and letters. If you see a padlock image in the address bar, there’s a good chance that site is using the encryption software that was impacted by the Heartbleed bug.

What sites have been affected?

Click here to refer to a comprehensive list of patched sites from CNET.

Heartbleed allows outsiders to peek into the personal information that was supposed to be protected from snoopers.

The bug allows potential hackers to take advantage of a feature that computers use to see if they’re still online, known as a “heartbeat extension.” But a malicious heartbeat signal could force a computer to divulge secret information stored in its memory, including keys to an encryption tool that turns your credit card information and passwords into indecipherable code.

Once a hacker has the keys to the encryption software, it’s game over — usernames, passwords, bank information and all the other data that you thought were safe are potentially up for grabs. Making matters worse, the Heartbleed bug leaves no traces — you may never know when or if you’ve been hacked.

“You could watch traffic go back and forth,” said Wayne Jackson III, CEO of open source software company Sonatype. “This is a big deal. When you think about the consequences of having visibility into Amazon and Yahoo, that’s pretty scary.”

Who does this affect?

Most major websites are targets, because they rely on this program. A survey conducted by W3Techs show that 81% of sites run on web server programs Apache and Nginx, and both are vulnerable to the Heartbleed bug.

Many popular sites, including Amazon, Yahoo and OKCupid, use those encryption tools. Yahoo, Amazon and OKCupid have updated their websites with a fix for the bug, but many others have not patched their sites yet.

What can I do?

Not much, unfortunately — the websites themselves need to update to a new version of the encryption software to fix the bug. That’s why changing all your passwords right away isn’t a good idea. Websites are all racing to fix the issue, and if you act too quickly, you might change your password on a site that is still vulnerable.

Italian cryptographer Filippo Valsorda launched the “Heartbleed Test,” which purports to tell you if websites are still compromised.

Although the operating system is more than 12 years old, and Windows XP computers haven’t been shipped since 2010, there are still millions of them in use. Gartner estimates that as much as 25 per cent of Windows PCs in the workplace are running XP. Consumers tend to be even slower in upgrading.

Why so many XP computers? XP’s successor, Vista, was unpopular, so many XP owners held off upgrading. In addition, many consumers are buying smartphones and tablet computers instead of upgrading old PCs.

Microsoft Corp. is pushing remaining XP owners to upgrade to a newer operating system, such as Windows 7 or 8. It will still be possible to use existing Windows XP computers after Microsoft retires it Tuesday, but that comes with risks.

Here’s a guide to the risks and your options.

___

Q. What happens on Tuesday?

A. That’s the day Windows XP reaches what Microsoft calls “end of support.”

XP made its debut in 2001 and retired from retail stores as boxed software in 2008. PC makers were allowed to sell computers with Windows XP for another two years.

In recent years, Microsoft hasn’t done much with XP beyond releasing updates on the second Tuesday of each month to fix newly discovered security flaws. This Tuesday is the last time Microsoft is doing that for XP, so any problems discovered after that won’t get fixed.

You’ll still be able to run XP computers and install past updates. If you need to reinstall XP from scratch, you can do so if you still have the discs that came with your computer.

Microsoft will still provide updates for its anti-malware software for XP until July 2015, but the company warns it will offer limited protection.

___

Q. How do I know if my computer is running XP?

A. This Microsoft site will check: http://amirunningxp.com. If you have XP, the site will go through your options.

Even if you don’t visit the website, you may still get a pop-up notification, depending on how your computer’s configured to check for Windows updates.

___

Q. If XP will still run, why do I need to upgrade?

A. A big reason is security. Hackers know Microsoft will no longer fix security flaws, so evil-doers have extra incentive to look for them. In addition, if a flaw is found for Windows 7 or 8, there’s a good chance a similar issue exists for XP as well. So when the fixes come out for Windows 7 or 8, hackers can go back to XP to look for an opening.

Hackers have become more sophisticated, and lately they have been breaking into computers for financial gain rather than just pride. So the risk is greater than when Microsoft retired past systems such as Windows 95 and 98.

There are also performance issues. If you buy a new printer or scanner, it might not work on XP. Same goes for new software, particularly if it needs faster processors and more memory beyond what was standard in XP’s heyday. XP also lacks features that are common with newer operating systems, including energy-saving measures for laptops.

___

Q. What are my options for upgrading?

A. You can upgrade to Windows 7 or 8 by buying a disc. You will need to back up your files and have discs for any programs you may have installed, as upgrading requires completely wiping your hard drive and starting from scratch. Microsoft sells Windows 8 as an upgrade for $120; be sure to buy the DVD version and not the download. Retail sales of Windows 7 have ended, though you might be able to find leftover copies for sale online.

That said, it’s probably not worth the upgrade. Your XP computer is several years old and might not even meet the system requirements to upgrade. Use this tool to check: http://bit.ly/KkZERx .

Even if an upgrade is possible, the money is better spent toward a new computer. Microsoft says many PC makers are offering deals timed to XP’s retirement.

Be aware that either way, you may also need to buy new software, as older versions might not run on Windows 7 or 8. Microsoft, for instance, is also ending support for Office 2003 on Tuesday.

___

Q. My XP computer works fine and fits my needs —and I don’t want to spend money on an upgrade or a new machine. What should I do?

A. If despite the warnings, you are still running XP, here are a few things to do:

First, be sure to run all of Microsoft’s previously released updates, plus the last one on Tuesday.

Then think about what you really need the computer for. If you don’t need an Internet connection, unplug it. That will minimize the risk. Be careful about attaching USB storage drives, as that might introduce malicious software.

If you need the Internet, refrain from using email, Facebook and other communications channels through which malicious software might travel. Use a tablet, phone or another computer instead.

It’s also a good idea to lock down your computer by using a profile that lacks administrative rights. That will make it harder to install anything new, including malicious software.

Mikko Hypponen of F-Secure suggests removing older software applications you no longer use. The less you have running, the less vulnerability you’ll have.

Gartner fellow Neil MacDonald says XP computers on corporate networks have more options, including using XP only for crucial software that won’t run on more up-to-date systems and accessing a virtual desktop remotely for email, Web and other modern tasks. He says companies can also pay Microsoft for customized fixes beyond Tuesday, but that gets expensive.

___

Q. Why is Microsoft doing this?

A. As technology improves, it makes less sense to support something designed a PC generation or two ago. The company’s resources are better spent on making newer products better.

Apple does this, too, with its OS X system for Mac computers, though it doesn’t announce end dates for older versions as Microsoft does. Unlike Microsoft, Apple now offers upgrades for free.

___

Q. Don’t ATMs, retail payment systems, medical devices and other gadgets also run XP? What are my options?

A. Check with the manufacturer. MacDonald says there are two types of XP for so-called embedded systems, one of which will receive support until January 2016.

A special weather statement is in effect for the GTA, warning of heavy rain from a disturbance moving up from the Gulf coast.

The showers should start late Monday afternoon around 4 p.m. or 5 p.m. and the steadier rain will happen after 7 p.m. That rain will stay around overnight and through the morning on Tuesday before tapering to showers. The rainfall will total about 20 millimetres.

Actor Mickey Rooney, the pint-sized screen dynamo of the 1930s and 1940s best known for his boy-next-door role in the Andy Hardy movies, died on Sunday at 93, Hollywood industry trade papers Variety and Hollywood Reporter reported.

Rooney, who was one of the biggest box office stars of the movies’ studio era, had been ill for some time, TMZ said. It did not give a cause of death and a spokesman was not immediately available for comment.

Rooney, who spent almost his entire life in show business, teamed up with Judy Garland in the 1939 movie musical Babes in Arms. He also starred with Elizabeth Taylor in 1944′s National Velvet, which launched Taylor’s career.

Rooney was best known for his role as Andy Hardy, the popular all-American teenager, which he portrayed in about 20 movies.

Rooney was married eight times, the first time to screen beauty Ava Gardner. Asked once if he would marry all his eight wives again, he said, “Absolutely. I loved every one of them.”

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